It Sure Makes Everything Else Seem So Small
by Pinstripes and Buttons
Summary: One-shot LunaxNeville Read and Enjoy :D


_**I own nothing! Except of course that it was my idea about what to write and therefore the idea is mine! *Evil laughter* However, the obvious things such as Hogwarts, Luna, Neville and whoever else etc. are not mine because they belong to the greatest person in the world JKRowling! **_

**_So Small, Carrie Underwood Songfic (so duh, I don't own this either.)_**

**For my friend, PenguinxHero.  
I don't even know if you hold any interest in the series :P  
But know how much support you give in regards to my writting  
Thx for being you :)**

**So Small**

The warm night air filtered through the open window, bringing with it the fresh smell of sharp grass, burnt leaves and salt water. The stars above shone like glittering diamonds scattered over a beautiful midnight blue silk. The blackened silhouette of the mountains appeared as soldiers, guarding the place from harm; towers painted onto the landscape. Luna leaned against the stone sill, chin resting on the palm of her hands. Her warm grey eyes gazed upon the night scene with a renewed sense of awe every time she blinked. She pulled in deep breaths of air as she stood alone in the tower, feeling nothing but serenity. How wonderful it would be, if this could last forever, Luna thought, a small smile painting her thin lips. Such a true beauty the world holds ... If only more people could cherish it...

There was a subtle thud of the door closing somewhere behind her. She didn't stir; they had just as much right to the space as she did. Of course, she wasn't supposed to be there, not at the hour the night held. Yet, if their aim was to disturb her, then they were to speak first. She would let only the sound of a human voice interrupt her perfect peace.

* * *

Neville found himself locked out of Gryffindor tower for the millionth time that year. By midnight, he gave up on hoping someone would come along and open it for him. He decided instead to wonder the corridors, even if he was, at first, quite reluctant to do so. As he strolled along the corridors, nobody dead or alive disturbed him; nothing made the slightest sound, not even his shoes or robes. He rubbed his eyes as he drifted from place to place, growing more tired by the moment. Images started flashing across his eyes: a white hall; ugly plaid curtains separating two beds from prying eyes; wisps of white hair; dead eyes watching him-

Neville shook his head roughly, trying desperately to get rid of the pictures now overtaking his focus. This action threw him off balance and he fell through the half open door to his left. Scrambling to his feet, he shut the door near silently before he turned to see where he was. The Astronomy Tower - no, wait, it was the empty one; well, almost empty. Luna Lovegood stood opposite him with her back facing his direction; her insanely long blonde hair fluttered outward slightly. Neville very much wanted to leave, but was fearful that he might see the images again. Instead he asked in a small voice, "What are you doing up here so late?"

He heard her release a low sigh, and honestly expected her to say something about Knargles or something; so what she said really surprised him, "I was simply looking at the world. Come see," Luna had turned around to face him, her hand stretched out towards him, palm up, as though she wanted him to take it. He stepped forward and was about to reach out his own hand when she let her own fall back to her side, a warm smile across her lips. Neville came to stand beside her at the empty window frame and looked at the scene beyond it. He wanted to ask how it was any different from when the sun was out. Dark patches where the mountains, lake and forest where; a crescent moon hung almost directing above the lake. Neville was about to ask her what exactly he was supposed to be seeing when her fingers locked with his and his eyes exploded.

Not literally, of course, but they seemed to have been drastically altered somehow. The once vague outline of the mountains stood out so that he could see the exact outline of them; the trees of the forbidden forest - which had seconds before only been a clump of blackness - could now been seen individually and with such detail. He moved his attention to the lake - tiny rings moving outward from where the giant squid had touched the surface were made known to him. In such awe, Neville reluctantly pulled his eyes away from it and turned to Luna, again wishing to speak, but again not having the focus required. Indeed, Luna too appeared differently. Her eyes - often described by the rest of the school as too large and slightly unnerving - were the normal size; her sort of rumpled blond hair was wavy and straight at the same time, flowing down her back like waves over sand. She looked amazing, breathtaking. Finally Neville got past this and said, "How is this possible?"

Luna smiled, "Magic makes everything possible, doesn't it?" something about her new beauty faltered. Possibly her smile flickered with sadness; or had her adjusting her grip on his now clammy hand the reason? Neville wanted to question which branch of magic could have such an effect on the senses, but instead asked her more simply.

"Do you often see the world like this?" his voice betrayed a sliver of fear in asking the question. He'd have hated to offend her or anything like such. Luna nodded but avoided his eyes, telling him that she had seen this way since she witnessed her mother's death. Neville opened his mouth to say 'I know how you feel' or 'I know what that's like' but couldn't bring himself to say it. His parents were worse than dead: driven insane, without memory of him...

"Neville?" Luna gazed at him, concern written plainly in her eyes. He'd begun to quiver again as the mental images attacked him. Luna made to question his health again, but was caught off guard when he threw his arms around her in a desperate hug. As if unsure how exactly do return a hug, Luna's arms slowly came to rest on his back. With his eyes closed to the world, Neville heard Luna begin to talk again. Her voice floated like mist from a waterfall; smooth as an untouched river. "The world can be the scarest place if we let fear engulf us, if we neglect to notice that beauty is forever surrounding us. Peace cannot be created by force of war, but forged by determination for a better tomorrow. Sorrow and death will always walk hand in hand, but so many fail to see that one step over contentment and life share the same path. Everything is entwined with one another, and so lies the inablity to experience solely one emotion at a time."

Opening his tired brown eyes, Neville could've sworn for a second that her _saw_ the last of Luna's words fade away. "I don't understand what you mean?"

"People wear a disguise when they hope not to be known for their true selves. The world is forced into a mask when people refuse to believe the impossible and open their eyes beginning to see what is really there." Luna explained in more logical sentences. Yet Neville couldn't help finding more sense in her elongated wording. "Isn't that why you chose to darken your past so as to avoid it?"

"It isn't working to well at the moment." Neville muttered, letting go of Luna and facing the grounds again. They'd returned to their splotchy state; the beauty had been sucked from it entirely, leaving Neville with an even more hollow feeling inside. Luna touched his arm; the world clarified itself.

"Come with me, I want to show you something I think you'll like better than the grounds." Before Neville could protest, everthing became really blurry - a mess of colours and weird shapes. The only thing he could see clearly was Luna, who he kept a firm grip on as she walked. "We are in the space between time, the only way to move vast distances quickly without needing Ministry approvement or worry about blocker spells. Don't ask how I found out how to do this - not quite sure myself to be honest." she gave a thoughtful look. Her eyes, which he only now noticed had been entirely whited out, returned to their gorgeous shade of silver-grey. It was then Neville realized where she'd brought him. His stomach gave an almighty twist and he wanted to double over. Not here, of all places, not St Mungo's.

They stood at the end of the hall, facing a Healer Neville knew well. Her name was Mysti and she didn't seem to realize that they had just appeared out of nowhere. Finally, she moved and gave a gasp of surprise at seeing them standing before her when they weren't anywhere near the hospital a second ago. "Neville? Luna? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We'll be gone in a moment," Luna assured her, "Could we just go in for a second?"

Still surprised by the sudden appearence of the two under aged wizards who should've been in school, Mysti merely nodded and unlocked the door. Luna led Neville past the threshold and down to the end of the ward, where those ugly plaid curtains divided the area in two. "I can't," Neville shook his head, and pulled out of Luna's loose grasp. He stepped back and turned his back to her. Yet, his feet refused to move anymore. He heard Luna push aside the curtains; she spoke, but the words were lost to him. A thick silence hung over the room; Neville turned around and was going to ask Luna to take him back to Hogwarts-

"Mum?" Neville's jaw hit the floor. Lying in the bed beside Luna's chair was Alice Longbottom. She looked exactly like she did in all the pictures Neville had of his parents. Past her lay his father Frank Longbottom; he too represented the old version of himself. "Dad? How -?" Luna and a gentle hold on Alice's hand, and Alice had a hold on the hand of her husband in the next bed.

"Hi honey, we've missed you." Alice's voice was soft as a whisper, but more alive then he'd ever remembered. Neville rushed forward and embraced his mother, tears straining his cheeks. Then he turned to his father and hugged him too.

"Hows Hogwarts? Who's the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year?" his father joked, laughing deeply.

The visit seemed to stretch forever, but go far too fast at the same time. He, his parents and Luna jumped from topic to topic without a care in the world of how early an hour the morning held, or that the sky gradually grew lighter outside. Neville was just so entirely happy to see his parents look so alive, to hear more then mumbles and noises. He knew it was inevitible; he knew that sooner or later they would go back to their mentally unstable selves. Alice said at last, the words he never wanted to hear, "You two best be back to Hogwarts, no?"

"Class to attend, knowledge to gain." Frank added.

Neville nodded slowly; Luna's hand slipped into his as though it was meant to be with his. "We are so proud of you sweetheart."

"So, very proud son."

And just like however many hours ago, everything blurred into colours and weird shapes that held no purpose. Then just like that, they were back in the empty tower, gazing out at the pale grounds washed in the early grey light. Luna released Neville's hand and he thanked her with the purest gratefulness he could find. She smiled and said simply, "Now you have the magic."

"Is that why I could see what I saw even without holding your hand?" Neville had meant to ask the question a very long time ago, but didn't for obvious reasons.

Luna nodded, "Yes, and no. I'm not really sure why no, but I know yes is because all you needed was a little nudge in the right direction. Now you'll be able to see everything as it should be seen without ever having to hold my hand again." she looked away then and made for the door.

Neville reached out and touched her arm, turning her back to face him. "You know, maybe I'll hold your hand regardless of if I can see the real world by myself."

A smile brighter than any Luna had shown him spread across her face, illuminating her silver eyes and making her look like the goddess she was. "You honestly mean it?"

Neville pulled her towards him and gave her a soft butterfly kiss on the lips. Resting his forehead against hers, he vowed without hesitation, "I promise you, Luna Lovegood, that I will stand by you forever, no matter what tries to pull us apart."

From that day foreward, Neville never laughed at or mocked Luna with the others. He gazed at her with the utmost admiration, always reminded of what she'd done for him. When he'd felt lost and alone in the world, she gave him the light that would bring him to see, that everything held beauty, no matter how small.


End file.
